Let's Assume
by RedSugarMama
Summary: After Maura and Jack break up, Jane uses every trick and game in the book to cheer Maura up. Ultimately, Jane is able to engage Maura in a game of "Let's Assume" (not an easy feat!) in which some interesting hypotheses come to light, and an even more interesting pact is formed. Will be a multi-chapter fic, but throwing this out as a bit of teaser. :D
1. Chapter 1

_**The Psychadelic Purple Bean Bag Chair Trick**_

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry…c'mere." Jane had her arm wrapped around Maura's shoulder and pulled the smaller woman to her chest, resting her chin gently atop Maura's head and rubbing her back in comforting circles. "What can I do?"

Maura sniffled a little. "Nothing Jane. Just this. Thank you." She closed her eyes and breathed in the comfort that was her best friend. For now, she felt content to be silent and enjoy Jane's gentle ministrations. Jane rocked her a little. Maura felt loved. The sadness lifted and Maura leaned into Jane a little more closely. Jane wrapped both arms around Maura and continued rocking her.

"Hey Maur?" Jane whispered.

"Mnnnnn?" Maura felt the bubble break, but her contented trance was slow to let go.

"How many times have we sat on these same steps comforting each other after some kind of break up….or man disaster?" Jane smiled into Maura's hair; it was time to start motivating Maura to speech and movement.

"Man disaster, Jane? Really?" Maura smiled and spoke, but she did not move.

"Yeah Maur, man disaster. It's like a phenomenon. You know…you, me, men – disaster. We have done this before you know. And I have to say these steps are no more comfortable than the last time, or the time before that. Or the first time, or all the other times in between. Think we could move this inside? Find a couch? A bar stool, a bean bag chair? Something a little less hard on the ass?"

"You have a bean bag chair, Jane?" Maura chuckled into Jane's chest, and Jane smiled. _Movement. Speech. Great. Maura was snapping out of it._ Jane started to pull away slowly and Maura sighed. "Ok Jane," Maura submitted, "take me to this bean bag chair of yours."

"You'll love it Maur, it's totally psychedelic purple…it's so kitsch, it's almost cool!" Jane's enthusiasm was infectious; so smiling and quirking an eyebrow at her best friend, Maura moved to stand up with Jane's help.

"Jane Rizzoli, you so do not have a psychedelic purple bean bag chair! I have been in your apartment at least 500 times, and have not once seen this chair of yours!" Maura grabbed Jane's hand as Jane climbed the stairs.

"You're right Maur, no psychedelic purple bean bag chair. But I do have a couch, and my butt is numb. I also have beer and wine, and maybe something else that's psychedelic and purple, and ice cream and take out menus and TV and heat." Jane looked back at Maura with a smirk. The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it, and simply smiled back. _Did Jane just make a reference to a sex toy? And joke about it? _Maura gave her head a slight shake. Her friend could be very surprising sometimes.


	2. Chapter 2

_2. Beer and Bottle Cap Tricks_

Once inside Jane's apartment, Maura marched straight to the sideboard as Jane turned on some lights. By the time Jane caught up with her, Maura had the decanter of red in her hand and was reaching up for a glass. Reaching up behind her, Jane's hand caught Maura's and held it in the air.

"Jane?" Maura questioned.

"Maura." Jane answered.

"I need a glass Jane. I can't very well drink straight from the decanter!"

"Beer, Maura."

"Beer?" Maura quizzed, assessing their proximity to one another and testing it. Slowly she moved her Jane-frozen hand toward the glass. Sure enough Jane's hand moved with hers, balling Maura's into a fist as she did so. And yes, that was definitely Jane's torso, flat against her back now, like magnet to steel. She considered experimenting further with this game, but clearly Jane had her own game in mind and, by now, Maura was curious.

"Jane, since you went to the trouble of pouring my wine into a decanter, as I suggested, so that it might breathe probably, I am having trouble determining why you are trying to prevent _ME_ from breathing...and I sense it has something to do with beer, so maybe you'd like to enlighten me?"

Jane, who had also done some work of her own in assessing the proximity of their closeness suddenly felt flush; a little embarrassed, and maybe a little something else? Not one to analyze, Jane dismissed the thought and tried remembering instead. _Right! Beer!_

"Beer is break up booze Maura, not wine. You need a beer!" She let go of Maura's hand and backed away so quickly, Maura was left to imagine whether the whole episode had actually happened. _Hmnnn. Interesting._ She filed the event away for future reference and further analysis.

Jane pulled two bottles of beer out of the fridge, twisted the caps off, pocketed them both, and handed a bottle to Maura who by this time had put the wine back in its place on the sideboard.

"Let's sit Maura. You can tell me everything. And once you finish that beer, I may let you have some wine. _If_ you still want it." Jane flopped onto her couch, crossing her still booted feet on the coffee table in one swift, graceful motion.

Maura sat at the edge of the other end, unstrapping her heels. Footwear removed, she daintily faced Jane on the couch, pulling her legs up neatly beside her and waiting intently for Jane to speak. About anything.

"Well?" Jane asked.

"We broke up Jane, I told you that already. Right now I am curious to know why beer is the perfect break up booze? Very curious in fact."

Jane snickered. "Cuz Maura, it just is. Beer is kinda cheap, messy, unrefined...know what I mean? It's the booze that someone forgot to make into something nicer. It's like trashy booze, mad booze, drown yourself in a bottle booze, it's break up booze Maura!"

Maura laughed out loud. "You're not making a great case for your favorite beverage here Jane."

"Hey," Jane smirked, "I didn't say I didn't love it. I merely suggested it was the perfect break up booze. For all the aforementioned reasons." With that, she swept her hand regally in a gesture meant to suggest she had finished her soliloquy _with_ grace, elegance and style to spare. Maura laughed again.

"Ok Jane, if beer is perfect break up booze, what does that make wine?" If nothing else, Jane's logic never ceased to amuse Maura. And for this she could not wait.

"Maura, Maura, Maura...do you not already know?" Jane feigned exasperation.

Maura feigned being taken aback. "I must say Jane, I do not."

Jane made a big display of kicking off her boots, then settled into the couch again. "Well Maur, wine is like the perfect get together booze. It's the sweet, romantic, flowy, glowy, let's declare our undying love and attraction over snails and make out booze." She could barely contain her smile, and when Maura burst out laughing, Jane let go and followed. They laughed for quite a while.

"You do have a way with words, Jane." Maura took a few more sips of beer, then looked at her best friend with affection and gratitude. "You're such a good friend Jane, the best. Really. I don't' know what I'd do without you."

Jane flushed again at her friend's sincerity. "You're worth it Maur, I'd do anything to make you not hurt. Including sharing my really bad break up booze analogies." She smiled, mirroring Maura's sincerity until the emotion built up between them, palpable and hanging suspended over the couch.

"I'm not as hurt as you might think Jane. I didn't really expect things with Jack to last. I wasn't really looking for that. He filled a void Jane. He was kind, he was gentle, and he met certain needs. If you know what I mean." Maura looked toward Jane expectantly.

Reacting immediately, Jane shot her friend that wide eyed _'don't you dare talk sex Maura Isles or I will spit my beer up all over you'_ look. Maura chuckled.

"And you know nothing about this I suppose Jane?" Maura dared her friend, a familiar, flirty stare down ensued until Jane caved.

"Well of course I do Maura, I wasn't born yesterday! I just don't want any graphic details of your sex life with Jack, and I mean that!" She held her _don't you dare stare _without blinking, just waiting for Maura to start spouting facts, figures and details she did not want to hear about. Maura was up for the challenge.

"So Jane, when you have these needs we just alluded to, what do you do about them...I mean, since Casey's been gone. That's been quite a long time Jane."

Jane's face perked up, her _don't you dare_ stare turned full flirty stare, and she did not break eye contact with Maura: "Purple is a girl's best friend, Maur." Jane smirked, Maura nearly choked, and there they were again – two best friends engaged in an endless standoff of epic proportions.

To break the sudden tension, Jane jumped up and ran to the TV. "Hey Maur', here's the other thing about beer and breakups." Swinging the DVD player cabinet open, she turned swiftly and declared "ta da!"

Maura peered questioningly at the inside of the cabinet door, which was now flung wide and facing her. _Is that a picture of Casey?_

"Jane," Maura hesitated, lest she had interpreted incorrectly, "is that Casey?"

Jane smiled broadly, "that _WAS_ Casey Maura! Casey left. Me. With a baby. Because his career was more important. And I hated him for that."

Maura mused for a minute, then ventured a guess, "so, you put Casey's picture inside your cabinet so you...wouldn't have to look at it?" Clearly, Maura was missing something here, but since she so often did, she waiting patiently for Jane to explain.

"No Maur! Well yeah, I guess it does that too." Jane returned to the couch, the cabinet door still wide open, and resumed her place on the couch. Reaching into her pants pocket, she retrieved the two bottle caps she'd twisted off earlier. "Maura, observe and learn. You are about to understand fully why beer and break ups go hand in hand. Are you ready?" Jane smiled at Maura, her eyes full of mischief.

Oh dear, what have I done here. Maura picked up her beer, took another sip, breathed in slowly and turned to Jane. "Yes Jane, I am ready."

With that, Jane raised two long fingers in the air, settled a beer cap on the tips, and then, with a quick twist and flick, the cap zoomed though the air like a projectile, tracking a perfect whizzing football spiral like path toward the cabinet, and smacking Casey Jones straight between the eyes.

Maura stared at Casey's picture, clearly mesmerized. Jane settled into a self-satisfied smile and took a long swig of beer, draining it, and placing the empty bottle triumphantly on the table.

"See what I mean Maur," Jane asked, as if all should now be perfectly evident, and no further questions applicable, _"Perfect. Break. Up. Booze."_

Maura, for the moment at least, had been stunned absolutely speechless.


	3. Chapter 3

_**3. Practice, Pictures and Pajamas**_

For the second time that night, Jane held Maura's hand in the air, bottle cap perfectly positioned atop Maura's slender fingers. Jane expertly positioned Maura's thumb and manipulated her wrist slightly to achieve the perfect "flick", but then shook her head.

"No Maura, like this!" Jane pulled her hand away and demonstrated again. This time, Jane set the bottle cap up on her fingers right next to Maura's so she could replicate visually. Certain she and Jane were now aligned, Maura wriggled forward and assumed the position. Jane flicked in demonstration; catching Casey in the Adam"s apple. Maura, who had studied Jane's motions intently, sized up the photo for a second, closed one eye, and "flick!" Maura hit Casey square in the forehead.

Clapping and jumping up and down a little in her seated position, Maura could not hide her pride or her excitement. She was clearly delighted with her accomplishment.

"Yay, Maura!" Jane declared. "Way to go!" She smiled at Maura, pumping her fist with enthusiasm. The pleased beam she got back lifted Jane's heart, and it sang with bursting platitudes. Seeing Maura like this, Jane felt infectiously happy. Pure emotional satisfaction. Her friend was happy. Her friend was proud. Her friend was beautiful. _Whoa Rizzoli, one step at a time here...and maybe hold back on that comment about dexterous fingers…_

"Wow Maura, you are a genius! Wanna know how many tries it took me to hit that son-of-a-bitch between the eyes?"

Maura looked around Jane's living room counting bottle caps. _3-4-7. And Jane still had one in her hand. _Maura could only imagine.

"And you hit him in the forehead on your first try!" Jane was beaming. She reached out, patted Maura's knee, then squeezed gently to make her point. "Genius!"

Maura was busy calculating. _8, less 3._ Jane was on her 5th beer, and showing no pain.

As if in agreement, Jane landed her empty bottle heavily on the coffee table. Somewhere amidst the chaos of take-out curry dishes, plates, cutlery and, well, more empty beer bottles, Maura calculated that safety, water, order and discretion were the new rules of engagement. But Jane seemed to buzz with enthusiasm, she seemed genuinely happy. Maura understood that she needed to balance that too. And she would. Jane had gone all out for her tonight. She wasn't really aware of the drinking disparity until now. She needed to think.

"Jane, I need to use the bathroom. Maybe you want to tidy up a little and we can watch a movie?" She said it sweetly; it usually worked with Jane.

"You sure, Maur? Don't you want to tack up that little picture of you and Jack from the photo booth at the mall, and see if you can get _him_ in the forehead!" Jane laughed, but Maura sensed an underlying layer of serious motive. _Revenge! _It wasn't exactly violent, but it was bizarre. Maura made a mental note. _Wait!_ Maura combed her very fastidious brain for a memory, any memory, of having shown Jane that photo. She, Jack and Abby had taken those photos very recently. Coming up with nothing, Maura felt unsettled. Not angry exactly, but a little disturbed. _How had Jane seen that picture? _ Yes, caution was definitely in order.

_R&IR&IR&I_

When Maura rejoined Jane in the living room, her friend had changed into sweats and a t-shirt, made a hasty attempt at clean up, and was pouring wine into 2 glasses. Hearing Maura re-enter the room, she pointed with the wine decanter to a bundle of clothes and a fresh fluffy towel on the couch.

"I assume you're sleeping here tonight Maura…we've both had too much to drink for either of us to drive." _Hmnnn. _While true enough, she wondered if Jane realized she had outpaced Maura by quite a bit. "Might as well have a nightcap, right?" Jane smiled that full, radiant, beautiful smile that made Maura melt inside. How could she say no? She would simply monitor the situation and cut it off if it became troublesome; if _Jane_ became troublesome. Right now though, her best friend looked the polar opposite of troublesome. She looked angelic. So loving, and so graceful, despite 5 beers, and even in her questionable loungewear. Maura felt a lump form in her throat. Only Jane could make her feel this emotional. _Snap out of it sister; your friend sees all and she will jump all over this. And she will blame it on Jack. And, well, poor Jack! He certainly does not deserve the wrath of Jane Rizzoli at her fiercest and most protective. _Maura entertained a visual, and nearly chuckled.

"The _flowy, glowy_ stuff Jane?! I thought that was all hearts and flowers and declarations of love and devotion and let's get naked and make out?!" Maura teased her friend because she could, maybe Jane would have a comeback, maybe not. But this? This is what they did.

"Maura!" Jane fake chastised. "I would never take advantage of my friend in such a weak and compromised state…" She wiggled her eyebrows, and with a smirk walked toward Maura with a glass of red outstretched. "Would you believe it…" Jane husked, "if I told you…" her voice lowering to a whisper as she continued moving closer to Maura until they were breathing the same air, then leaning in so her lips were almost touching the shell of Maura's ear, "that we are out of beer?"

Maura shuddered at the breathy sensation of Jane's whispered words in her ear, and then stood stock still, paralyzed with both recognition and fear. Jane Rizzoli was right here, in her space, _and it was doing things to her. _

_Again_.


	4. Chapter 4

Maura emerged from the bathroom to find Jane back on the couch, her head reclined, eyes closed, wine in hand but balanced, so still awake. Rolling the sleeves on her long tee up, Maura moved to join Jane, sitting somewhere in the middle. There was not a lot of space between them, but certainly it fulfilled the dictates of discretion, as determined by Maura. Rolling up the other sleeve now, she suddenly realized how much longer her friend was than she: longer arms, longer legs. Jane was just long! _Longer than ther'eve been fishes in the ocean._..Maura giggled despite herself; she loved that brilliant, grammatically incorrect song, and it suited Jane, who also had decidedly smaller breasts, Maura thought, as she wiggled in her shirt to try and find more room for her ample cleavage. She was feeling a little constrained she decided, and began tugging at the shirt to find some give.  
>"Jane," she quipped, "while I certainly appreciate that you arranged clothing for me to feel more comfortable in, I must say it would help if I had a shorter best friend."<br>Jane opened her eyes and rolled her head toward Maura, who was now working on rolling up the legs on Jane's yoga pants. Jane chuckled, then changed gears into full out laughter;  
>"And bigger boobs, right?! Seriously Maura, you kinda look like she-hulk trying to burst out of that shirt!" Maura returned Jane's declaration with laughing eyes. "Do you want me to try to find you something a little less, um, form fitting?"<br>"Well Jane, it might be best. We don't want the remainder of our evening spent focusing on my breasts trying to escape." Maura batted her eyes at Jane flirtatiously. Jane just laughed.  
>"Ok Maura, one over-sized tee coming up." Maura had finished rolling all things that needed to be rolled and sipped on her wine. Jane was back in a flash with a faded old army hoodie. "Casey's." She stated handing the garment to Maura, who held it away from herself between thumb and finger, examining it in disbelief.<br>"Jane," Maura started. "This is…well, it's really quite hideous."  
>"It's comfy Maura, and warm. It's also the only thing I could find that might, um, hang loose on you?" Jane giggled, covering her mouth to try and save her friend from embarrassment over the whole runaway breast thing.<br>"It's fine Jane, I think I'll take my chances on my inner she-hulk containing herself tonight." Maura giggled, placing Casey's hideous hoodie on the arm of the couch, as far out of reach as possible without having to get up.  
>"Ok Maur, up to you." Jane sat back down and smiled at Maura. "But just so you know, if you catch me staring it's only because they're pretty hard to miss." Jane shot Maura a trademark smirk, to which Maura, without missing a beat, shot back with a knowing smile and a flirty "well, it wouldn't be the first time, Detective."<br>_"Maura!"_ Jane gasped, _"surely not!"_ But then she flashed a wicked grin of near admission and leaned back into the couch.  
>Fearing their flirtatious banter may run the stop sign and fly straight off the tracks if someone didn't introduce some seriousness in short order, Maura waited until they had slipped back into comfortable silence and then introduced the topic that had troubled her most that night .<br>"Jane," she began, then stopped. Jane turned to face her, quietly beseeching her to continue. "I…well, I was thinking. Earlier, when you were teaching me to hurl bottle caps at Casey, you mentioned pinning up the picture of Jack. Well, I was thinking that I don't recall showing any pictures of Jack."  
>With no discernible change of expression, Jane answered quickly and nonchalantly: "you didn't."<br>Maura felt confused. "Well then how did you see the picture?"  
>Again, not a trace of anything hidden or unsavory. Jane continued to look at Maura openly and without guile. "I haven't."<br>"I don't understand, Jane" Maura challenged, clearly confounded.  
>"Well, I wasn't snooping, if that's what you think." Jane grinned.<br>"I didn't think that."  
>"You SO DID Maura," Jane leered, pointing at Maura now, "look! HIVES!"<br>Maura flushed red with embarrassment, grabbing her neck. Jane laughed out loud. "It wasn't that hard Maura. You do know I'm a Detective, right? Some might even say Boston's finest," she continued, flashing her best self-congratulatory grin. "And so I am very good at detecting things, puzzling them out, putting them back together and filling in the gaps."  
>Maura listened, entranced now.<br>"Well, the last time Jack came by to pick up Abby, she actually came to visit me. She told me she was bored waiting. I suppose you and Jack were doing whatever it was you two did that left that poor girl with no other option than to visit my grumpy ass. I was distracted, but she did show me a couple of goofy pictures of the three of you taken in a photo booth at the mall. She told me she tricked you into it by saying she wanted a photo of the three of you, and then she jumped out before the last two shots. So, by deduction, if she had two pictures, and jumped out before the last two, that left two pictures remaining. Since I saw her two, chances are you and Jack kept the other two. I know, genius right?" Jane's eyes held mischief, her grin implored challenge and Maura felt quite simply foolish. "No creepy, stalker stuff Maura. Just one enthusiastic teen and one brilliant detective. Magic" She snapped her fingers. "Just like that I put two and two together!" Jane turned away, chuckling at her own wit and celebrating her great triumph over her genius best friend.  
>"I feel so silly, Jane." Maura finally spoke. "I'm so sorry. Really. I am very, very silly."<br>"No harm done, Maur. I might have thought the same thing in your position." Jane sipped her wine. "But then again, probably not, because _I _trust _you._" She turned to Maura and smiled, lest Maura think she was serious and not playing with her. Maura looked downcast. "Hey," Jane husked, grabbing at Maura's knee, "just kidding. Really. Look, look at my face. KIDDING." Maura looked up. Jane really was smiling. Maura smiled back, placing her hand over Jane's and squeezing.  
>"I trust you too, Jane. With my life. I had a very silly thought, for a moment, and I allowed it to cloud my judgment."<br>"Happens to us all, Maur," Jane said softly. "And, I do know our relationship is based on trust. So we're cool." They gazed at each other, emotion pooling between them again, until Jane, always the first to break, pulled away with a mischievous smile. "Of course, Dr. Isles, that doesn't preclude the inevitable question, which is, _why _exactly would you think I was _snooping _into your private affairs…or, um…_stalking_ you?"  
>Once again, Jane Rizzoli had rendered Maura Isles absolutely speechless. She could of course tell Jane that she had cause for suspicion after their experience with Ian and Interpol, but she already knew without asking that Jane had run Jack through every checkpoint and database she had access to – or not – because her friend was very protective, especially after the incident with Dennis, the "serial killer". But it wasn't that. It was something niggling and not altogether unpleasant, but disconcerting nonetheless. And Maura had not yet clearly identified the feeling herself, so how could she possibly explain it to Jane? Well she couldn't, so instead she thought "what would Jane do" in this situation. Inwardly she smiled: Jane would change the subject!<p>

"Jane, it's actually getting late, did you still want to watch a movie?" Maura felt very proud of herself for diverting the conversation away from herself and hoped Jane would take the bait.

"Nah, not a movie," Jane dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand.

"Well, is there something else you'd like to do Jane?" Maura offered, still feeling quite pleased that she had safely derailed a conversation they were not yet ready to have.

"Yeah, there is something." Jane looked over at Maura, and paused.

"What Jane?"

"Um," Jane continued, seeming a little unsure of herself. "Well Maur, I think I'd like to talk."

Maura stared back at Jane in complete disbelief. Who was this person, and what had they done with her best friend?

"Jane, you _hate_ to talk…"

"No Maura, I hate talking to _other people_, and _you_, when you try to make me talk…"

Maura took a deep breath. Pulling a throw across the two of them, and settling into the couch, she mulled over possible responses and then finally said the only thing she could think of: "Okay Jane, let's talk."


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN__: This is an important transition chapter, and I have written it many times. It is shorter than I intended, but it is taking us in the right direction. It is as difficult to bridge humour and sentiment in writing as it is in real life. This is my start. And no, the ride isn't over yet, because the words "let's assume" have not yet once been used. __ A begrudging thank you to "RT" who, in their not so subtle ploy to get me off their "updating" backs, both shouted at me, IN CAPS, to go write! Fine. I did. ;) Your turn. _**

5. Casey and Confessions

With her head still reclined against the couch, Jane turned to face Maura, who was already looking in Jane's direction.

"I'm really sorry Maura," Jane began, her expression so sincere Maura wanted to reach out and hug her. "About Jack, I mean. I know you really liked him."

Maura giggled. Jane's solemnity seemed almost funereal.

"He's s a lovely man, Jane. I like him still." She giggled again. "Dislike was not the cause of our break up," she continued. "I already told you what happened Jane." She smiled. She wanted Jane to know there was no bark in her bite, that she was playing with her a little bit. "To quote a far overused and very tired colloquialism these days, it is what it is." She shrugged her shoulders, took a deep draw of wine and waited.

"Did he...ummm..." Jane sat up straighter and sipped her wine, clearly trying to find the right words. "Did he ask you to go with him?" She finally managed, not looking at Maura.

Maura studied Jane. Her friend seemed uncomfortable. Something was on her mind. Jane never suggested talking as a primary activity; of course, they did a lot of it, but not often deliberately, with purpose - and especially not at Jane's request. She wished she could have just a peak at Jane's thoughts; anything to prepare or guide her for wherever it is Jane needed to go. But the wine had made her thinking pleasantly fuzzy, and she really could not see any signs or markers, so blindly forward she would have to go.

"No, he didn't. Though he did say he thought about it." Maura left it there. Jane would have to keep leading.

"So, if he thought about it Maur, why didn't he?" Jane continued to stare at the wall, not facing Maura.

"He knew I wouldn't go." That got Jane's attention.

"You wouldn't?" Jane's eyes widened, surprise evident. "I mean, I kind of thought that, you know, maybe he was...the one?"

Maura smiled a little. "Those are two very different questions, Jane."

"Yeah," Jane admitted. "Two questions. So answer them both." She smiled, but it was half-hearted.

"Actually," Maura mused, "maybe they are not different questions. I think the responses may be linked. I will need to answer both with different words of course, but there is some commonality -"

"Maura," Jane whined, "just answer!"

"Well Jack considered asking me to join him in Chicago, but decided he didn't want to hear my answer so he thought it best not to ask. But he did tell me he considered it. He just knew I would say no..."

"You're job, right?" Never very good at waiting for a response, Jane began answering the questions herself...

"Well yes Jane, that was part of it. He gets tenure with this move, it's a very good move for him.

Whereas I do not need to move away from Boston to advance my career. But, that wasn't all of it."

"What else, Maur?" Jane coaxed with her eyes. Softly, indulgently.

"Well," Maura took a deep drag of wine, thinking, and simultaneously admiring Jane's patience in not prodding. "He compared us to you and Casey actually."

"WHAT!?" Jane blurted out.

Maura giggled; Jane could only be quiet and patient so long.

"He said he knew you were torn about Casey, but in the end you were too strong to leave your home, your family, your friends...your career, your life, your city...to follow a man around the world just because he asked you to."

"And so," Jane postulated, "Jack did not ask you to move to Chicago with him because I finally got my shit together and didn't follow Casey's stupid ass to Afghanistan, or some other backward, dangerous war torn country?!"

Maura giggled again. "Yes, Jane, something very like that."

Jane suddenly morphed into animation; no, Maura thought, agitation.

"Of all the stupid ass things I have ever heard come out of a man's mouth, that is...that is...that is just the stupidest! What kind of idiot doesn't ask the most perfect woman in the world to join him in his new life just because her best friend finally figured out at zero hour that her fiancé was a total loser!" Jane's fiery eyes and ineloquent diatribe were a bit shocking; Maura knew she had to take this conversation back quickly. Staring straight into Jane's slightly glassy, combative eyes, she grabbed Jane's free hand and gently grazed her thumb over Jane's fingers.

"It was you Jane," she spoke quietly. "He knew I wouldn't leave you."

The fire in Jane's eyes flamed out quickly, hard became soft, dark became light. Recognition replaced fury. Looking down at their hands joined together on the blanket between them, Jane slowly turned her palm up and tentatively linked their fingers together, And then Maura heard it, a softly spoken utterance; just a quiet, simple "oh."


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Thanks again to RT for proofreading the first few paragraphs of this chapter and providing excellent advice on how NOT to steer this chapter! _

_Technically, I could end this T-rated story here. But, I think RT would hate me and I really do enjoy having both of them in my life. So, I am feeling inclined to continue. Please feel free to let me know if you'd like more...and would it bother you much if I moved this story ever so slowly into the M category?_

**This very short chapter is dedicated to Thelma and Louise.**

Massaging Maura's fingers gently between her own, Jane sat silent and unmoving. In the near darkness of the room, Maura could barely take in Jane's silhouette; unusually docile, but framed by the same familiar, frenetic shadow; except so still, almost statuesque. Maura closed her eyes, took in a deep, sharp silent breath; and concentrated on Jane's reverent, feather touch. It unnerved and soothed her at the same time. She knew Jane; knew she had to stay still for Jane.

Almost subliminally, she sent a neuronal message to her CNS to keep her autonomic responses in check: No sudden movement, no reciprocal touching, no responsive, appreciative sighing, and certainly no talking. Not yet. Jane was in a zone, but the spell would break soon enough, and her hesitant exploration would become frantic resistance.

Maura just wanted to slip into the moment and really feel it, however briefly it might last. Eyes still closed, she felt Jane's thumb brush her wrist, then the wispy tracing of hypnotic circles. She succeeded in keeping still until Jane tentatively dragged two fingers up her arm, from the inside of her wrist to just below her forearm, the lightest of touches finally torching the slow burn building within her. Involuntarily, she shuddered.

Fear mixed with a soaring pleasure, Maura felt an ache. A deeply complex apex of mazes, barriers, straight lines and freedom. Jane's touch was magical. Simple, but even in its pureness, so emotionally corrosive and even more highly addictive. Maura recognized this precipice; she had diverted this path already many times for fear of falling. And now, of all the crazy, contradictory possibilities, Jane was actually leading her there.

"Jane," she breathed out. "Look at me." She didn't want to stop this, but she also couldn't jump in freely without knowing whether Jane was finally coming with her.

"I love you Maura." Jane didn't turn to look at Maura, instead she used her words. At that moment, Maura felt Jane's love. It spread through her like liquid warmth, melting the last of her reserve and filling her in all the empty places. In that one whispered confession, Maura knew Jane was with her; that they suddenly had a lifetime to explore the meaning of gentle touches and hushed revelations. She suddenly felt giddy with relief. It didn't quite fit with the trancelike mood they had created, but they were still Jane and Maura, and right now Maura needed to share this giddy happiness with her best friend.

"Jane," she repeated, "look at me." When Jane finally looked up, Maura was beaming. She had stilled Jane's wandering hand and wrapped it in hers. While Jane's dark eyes held equal parts emotion and fear, Maura watched as the heaviness retreated and a recognizable twinkle emerged in both, and the curl of a smile began to form at the corner of her mouth.

"Maur," she started, ramping up the playfulness quickly, "why do you look like you just scored a rare edition of William M. Bass' _Autopsies for Dummies_"? Her grin was relaxed, her chuckle low and throaty. Maura laughed, a full out body laugh that Jane found infectious. Laughing together, they both felt all that delicious, sensual tension dissolve back into easy friendship.

"Hey Maur?" Jane asked, still laughing, "I had this idea I wanted to run by you. I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but just for fun, let's assume-" Maura's hand flew up and with a firm finger to Jane's mouth, she silenced her.

"You know I don't like sentences that begin with let's assume." Jane giggled against Maura's finger. "If I let you speak, will you do so properly?" Jane shook her head yes, and smiling, Maura released her finger but kept it ready and in position.

"Ok, let's suppose-" the finger snapped back into place against Jane's lips and they both laughed, indulging mutual memory of the original scene that made this re-enactment so funny; runaway laughter that caused eyes to water and could not be stopped until it had played itself out. When the laughter finally faded, and Maura hadn't removed her finger from Jane's lips, they looked at each other, searching, asking for direction and next steps. Maura shifted closer to Jane and engaged all of her fingers against Jane's cheek in a soft caress. Eyes still locked, Maura cupped Jane's jaw and used her thumb to gently brush Jane's lips. With the darkening of Jane's eyes, Maura saw her answer and her breath hitched.

"The only thing you need to assume, detective," she husked seductively, inching forward, "is that I am going to kiss you now."


End file.
